Winning Her Heart
by pinkpanda376
Summary: After the Sun and Moon ritual, things are very different for Elena. She's lost so many people... Will she be able to recover with the help from a very unexpected source?
1. Chapter 1

**Hey, guys! So I've started watching Vampire Diaries and am now completely addicted. So I decided to start a new story about it :) Also, I'm new to this, so please be patient with me cause I don't know all the VD rules yet. As always, read, review, and enjoy!**

I sat on the couch, my leg bouncing as I chewed on my nails and stared at the clock on the wall. Ric, Stefan, and Damon had gone with Bonnie to fight Klaus. Damon and Stefan had ordered Jeremy to keep me here and not to open the door for anyone until they'd returned. As their group had made their move, Caroline had grabbed me and ran with me, bringing me home. She'd gone to help Tyler after she'd dropped me off in Jeremy's custody. It had been nearly an hour now, and Jeremy had needed to bodily restrain me several times.

After several eternal minutes, we heard keys rattling in the door. I sprang for the door, but Jeremy pushed me back, holding a wooden stake as he moved towards the door.

"Who is it?" he shouted.

"It's me," Alaric's voice came through the door.

I scrambled to unlatch the door and let them in, but when I opened it, only Alaric stood there.

"Ric!" I gasped. "Where are Damon and Stefan?"

He hesitated, and I began to tremble. "Ric, please… Where are they?" I begged.

"Elena," he said quietly. I read the look in his eyes, and I knew.

"No," I whispered. "No! NO!"

My legs gave out as I began to scream and sob. Jeremy caught me immediately, helping me stagger to the couch. I clung to him and screamed as his arms encircled me.

"Elena…" he whispered in a broken voice.

"Bonnie?" I begged.

"She's fine. I took her home. That spell drained her big time."

"It worked?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes. Klaus is dead."

"What happened?" I whispered. "With…them?"

"As you know, Jules and Jenna… We were too late. Caroline barely had time to grab you and get you away. Katherine joined up last minute. She and Elijah went at Klaus to distract him. He was shocked at her appearance, but he killed Katherine and managed to knock Elijah away. Stefan and Damon rushed him then, and he staked Stefan in the heart. Damon yelled and went to kill him, but he turned and staked Damon too. Elijah used that as a distraction and stabbed Klaus with the dagger, then ran.

"Bonnie's okay though?" Jeremy asked worriedly.

"Yes, she's fine. Klaus can't get to her. Damon killed his witch."

I nodded, slowly beginning to feel hollow inside. Stefan… Damon… Both dead…

I stood and began to head for my room numbly.

"Elena?" Ric asked softly.

"I… I need to be alone," I whispered, closing my door.

"God," I heard Jeremy murmur. "I knew it would be dangerous, but I never imagined…"

"I know," Ric muttered. "I can't imagine what this'll do to her. Losing Jenna was bad… We had to let her go in order for us to be able to save Elena. We couldn't do anything for her. But… Stefan… Damon… I can't see her managing to get through this."

"She will," Jeremy said softly. "We'll help her."

"We will," Ric said quietly. "But… I don't know the affect that this'll have on her."

I barely heard him. I already felt myself beginning to go numb. I sank down onto my bed, allowing the darkness and denial to wash over me as I faded into unconsciousness.

**So what'd you guys think? I promise you guys that it'll get better. There's a plot twist coming up in the next chapter ;) Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, guys! So I decided not to add the other half of the "romance" to the description of the story, just to keep it a mystery :P I'm mean like that. Anyhoo, answers will come, my darlings ;) For now, read, review, and enjoy!**

SIX MONTHS LATER

I stood at the kitchen counter, glumly slicing strawberries. The ache that had begun when Stefan and Damon had died was still very, very prominent, and it reminded me of how Bella felt in that Twilight movie. Mine was more real though, because there were two of them, and they were dead, not MIA.

It was horrible. I couldn't get them out of my head, Damon more so than Stefan, though the reason for that was unknown. I'd known that their mission would be dangerous; I'd known that Stefan was willing to die for me, no matter how much I discouraged the idea. I just never thought that Damon was too. He hadn't needed to die. Of course Stefan would have made the first move on Klaus; it pained me to say it, but I didn't think that there was any way that he could have survived. But Damon… Damon could have survived. If Elijah had been just a little bit faster, then Damon wouldn't have had to die as well, and I felt horribly guilty over it.

I kept glancing at the clock. Ric was working late tonight, he'd said, but Jeremy should've been home by now… What was his deal?

There was a knock at the door. _Go figure, _I thought as I . _Boy Wonder forgot his keys AGAIN_.

"Seriously, Jer, you have GOT to start remembering to bring your—"

My sentence stopped immediately as I saw who was on the other side of the door. "—keys," I breathed, staring.

Damon. Damon Salvatore. Staring at me with his light blue eyes.

"Damon?" I gasped.

"Elena," he whispered.

"But… But how?" I stammered. "You're alive?"

"Although I'm technically not, I'll agree that I'm alive by the definition that you're using," he said dryly, giving me one of those wry smiles.

I burst into tears and flung myself at him, throwing my arms around his neck.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he murmured. "Come on, sit down, it's all right."

I nodded and tried to tug him to the couch, but he didn't budge.

"Elena?" he asked, sounding amused.

Oh! "Oh gosh, sorry, come in!" I babbled, laughing through the tears blurring my vision. I felt completely giddy, unable to believe it. Damon was alive!

I managed to make my way to the couch. Okay, he had to escort me there so that I didn't fall over from my lightheaded relief, but still.

"Damon…" I said, looking at him in disbelief. "How? How are you alive?"

He grinned again, sitting down next to me. "Cause the world needs more sexiness."

I smacked him on the arm. "Damon!"

He laughed. "Klaus missed my heart. Nicked it, but didn't stab it. I guess vampire staking has loopholes. He did it when Elijah was stabbing him with the dagger."

"So…you're all right?" I asked unsurely.

"I'm perfectly fine, Elena," he assured me, putting a hand on my arm.

I began to cry again, my emotions being taxed beyond their capacities. He reached out and pulled me to his chest, rubbing my back and stroking my hair. "Shhhh," he murmured softly. "It's all right."

I nodded, trying to wipe my eyes. "Where have you been?" I asked. "I'm not mad, I'm curious."

He didn't let go of me. "Mostly trying to find you three. You guys packed up and moved so suddenly."

"It took us nearly two weeks," I said.

He nodded. "I was floating between dead and…not dead for close to three weeks."

"Three weeks?!"

"Yes. It hadn't pierced my heart, but it was still touching it. Think of it as a human going into cardiac arrest over and over."

"Oh," I said. "How did you get…not in cardiac arrest?"

He laughed at my description. "God, I've missed you, Elena."

"I missed you too," I whispered, trying not to cry. "God, I'm… I'm so sorry that you had to go through that for me."

He held me closer. "I'd do it a thousand times over. I'd do anything to keep you safe."

"Really?" I asked softly.

He nodded, taking my hand as he looked into my eyes. "Yes, Elena. Anything."

Keys rattled in the door, and I sat up to turn towards it, very aware that Damon was still holding my hand.

"Hey, Elena, do you think you could—" Jeremy's voice stopped as he saw our houseguest. "Wait… Damon? Damon Salvatore?"

"The one and only," Damon said. Smartass.

"But… You're dead," Jeremy said, confused.

"Once again, technicalities," Damon replied, brushing off Jeremy's comment. "I'm still functional. Everyone satisfied?" I stifled a smile.

"Um… Okay," Jeremy said. "Listen, Elena, do you think you could drive me over to Chad's later tonight?"

"I'll do it," came Alaric's voice from the hall, where he was fumbling in his bag. "I need to make a run to the store tomorrow anyway, so I'll take you."

"Well, well, Ric, looking rather flustered," said Damon, smirking.

Alaric dropped his keys in shock. "Damon! What the… How are you here?"

"Finally, someone who doesn't use those pesky 'alive' or 'dead' words!" Damon said. "I gave Elena the long story, but short story, Klaus missed my heart because Elijah daggering him screwed his aim. He missed my heart for all intents and purposes."

"Is there any chance that Stefan…?" Alaric trailed off.

Damon's expression hardened, and his hand clenched a bit on mine. "No. Stefan is gone," he said in a hard voice, looking away.

I bit my lip and squeezed his hand back. "He'd… He'd want us to try and move on and be happy," I said quietly.

"Elena… Can I talk to you in private please?" Damon asked softly.

"Sure," I said. I stood and headed for my room, Damon on my heels.

"So look," he said softly. "Before the fight… I made a promise to him."

I sat down on my bed and looked at him. "What would that be?"

"I promised him… I promised him that if he died and I lived, I would look after you. Keep you safe."

"Okay," I said. "And?"

"And that's not all," he said quietly.

"What else is there?"

"He… He told me that if he died, he knew I could make you happy. Protect you. He knew I love you more than he did, even if you didn't feel the same about me. He just wants you to be happy, and he thinks I can make you happy."

"What are you asking me, Damon?" I asked, feeling tears in my eyes.

"I'm asking. Stefan's asking. Give me a chance. I can make you happy. That's what he wanted."

I closed my eyes and began to cry. "Damon, please, don't do this!"

He bowed his head, looking intensely ashamed. "I didn't think you'd agree with it. Even I know how wrong it is. But I swore to him that I'd be there for you."

I buried my face in my hands, trying to understand all the thoughts buzzing around in my head.

"I'll leave you alone," Damon said quietly. I heard the breeze of his movement, and then the quiet click of the door.

And, like I had been for so long, I was alone again.


End file.
